LJ CASE: The role of telecommunications in establishing the new authorities of the Slovene National Government (1918 – 1921) at the end of World War One and the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire

Historical context

Until the end of the First World War, Slovene territory was a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In the final years of the war, as imperial structures weakened, political initiatives among South Slavic representatives intensified. Competing visions on new structures emerged regarding the future political organization of the South Slavs. One proposal, articulated in the May Declaration of 1917, advocated the unification of South Slavic nations within the Habsburg framework as an autonomous political unit. In contrast, the Corfu Declaration of 1917 envisaged the creation of State of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes outside the Empire, in association with the Kingdom of Serbia under the Karađorđević dynasty. These programs reflected broader tensions between reformist federalism and the pursuit of full sovereignty beyond imperial structures. In the final phase of the First World War, imperial policy further alienated South Slavic political elites. Emperor Charles I’s promise of access to Adriatic sea to Austrian Germans was widely perceived as a rejection of South Slavic demands. In response, Slovene political parties signed a joint declaration asserting the right to national self-determination and committing to a political future independent of the Habsburg Crown

(Figure 1 Crucial preliminary documents in the process of dissolution of the Empire from Slovenian point of view; source: here and here)

The Establishment of New Authorities

In August 1918, prior to the formal dissolution of the Empire, the Slovene National Government (also referred to as the National Assembly for Slovene territory) was established in Ljubljana. Two months later, a broader political body representing South Slavs within the collapsing Empire was formed in Zagreb. Although this supranational authority formally claimed jurisdiction, effective power over Slovene territory was exercised by the Slovene National Government in Ljubljana. From its inception, the new administration prioritized control over communication infrastructure. One of its first practical measures was the establishment of a direct telephone line to the central South Slavic authority in Zagreb. This step underscores the extent to which telecommunications were perceived as indispensable instruments of governance in a moment of political uncertainty and administrative transition.

A particularly illustrative episode concerns the appointment of ministers to the first Slovene government, which was communicated by telephone to the Catholic Printing House in Ljubljana, where the Slovene National Government was initially based (today the building houses the Faculty of Law of the University of Ljubljana). The episode symbolically and practically demonstrates the centrality of telecommunications in the formation of executive authority.

The Decree on Provisional Administration

The legal consolidation of power was formalized in the Decree on Provisional Administration in the Territories under the Jurisdiction of the National Government of SHS in Ljubljana. Although not designated as a constitution at the time, the document possesses clear constitutional characteristics. Notably, it stipulated that all existing statutes and decrees would remain in force unless they contradicted the provisions of the new act: 

As long as they do not contravene the provisions of this Act, all statutes and decrees valid today remain in force until they are repealed or amended. 

This continuity clause ensured administrative stability while facilitating institutional transition.

The decree was drafted in Vienna by Ivan Žolger and his collaborators, even before the final outcome of the war was known. Žolger, a professor of constitutional law and an advisor to Emperor Charles I, had previously been tasked with constitutional reform within the imperial framework. His involvement lent the document both technical sophistication and institutional continuity.

Of particular relevance to this research are the provisions regulating the organization of postal services and railway networks:

VIII: Post Office For the entire territory referred to in point L, no. 2., a postal and telegraph directorate shall be established in Ljubljana, subordinated to the National Government of SHS in Ljubljana, Department of Transport.

IX. Railway Administration For all state railways located in the territory referred to in point L, no. 2, a railway directorate shall be established in Ljubljana, subordinated to the National Government of SHS in Ljubljana, Department of Transport. For all lines of the Southern Railway located in the territory referred to in point I, no. 2, an operating management shall be established in Ljubljana, subordinated to the National Government of SHS in Ljubljana, Department of Transport.

Strategic Importance of Telecommunications, Postal Services and Railways

The period between late 1918 and 1921 was marked by considerable geopolitical uncertainty. Political leaders anticipated the possibility of renewed armed conflict and prepared accordingly. The decision to subordinate postal and railway systems to the new authority was therefore strategic: it secured logistical coordination, intelligence flow, and rapid communication across contested territories. The strategic value of communication hubs was recognized not only by Slovene authorities but also by imperial military leaders. The Austro-Hungarian Field Marshal Svetozar Borojević reportedly instructed  subordinates to seize telephone and telegraph installations immediately following the establishment of the Slovene National Government. Such directives illustrate the perceived military importance of communication control.

Evidence further suggests that the Slovene political leadership deliberately prepared for institutional takeover even before the Empire’s collapse. An unidentified Slovene politician reportedly convened directors of regional postal administrations in Trieste, Graz, Celovec (Klagenfurt), Pečuh (Pécs), and Szombathely, instructing them to prepare for the transition and emphasizing that postal infrastructure would constitute a foundational resource of the future state. After the formal proclamation of the new political order, a unified Directorate for the entire Slovene territory was established.

Telecommunications in Slovene Territory before and during the Transition: a brief overview

The first telephone line in Slovene territory was installed in 1877. Subsequently, the Austro-Hungarian state invested significantly in telecommunications infrastructure. Nonetheless, telephone density remained below the European average. Telecommunications were nationalized and administratively integrated into the postal and telegraph system, reflecting a broader European pattern of state-controlled communication networks.

Archival documentation consistently reveals the structural interdependence of postal services, railway networks, telecommunications, and military organization. These infrastructures were conceived as a unified logistical system, essential both for wartime mobilization and peacetime governance.

(Figure 2 Communication networks as shown on military maps with a legend. From AT-Oesta KA KPS Generalstab 835. Operationsbüro)

Telecommunications introduced unprecedented speed in information transmission among civilian administrators, military commanders, and political leaders. In the volatile post-war environment, this capacity significantly enhanced the effectiveness of centralized authority.

Telecommunications in the Struggle for the Northern Border

The military confrontations along the northern border with Republic German-Austria after 1918 further demonstrate the operational importance of telecommunications. Testimonies from soldiers involved in securing the border indicate that the establishment of a telephone connection was a priority whenever a new outpost was formed. Immediate communication with Ljubljana enabled coordinated defensive strategies and facilitated direct instruction from the Minister of Defense Lovro Pogačnik.

In one notable account, Slovene soldiers were temporarily unable to establish a direct line to Ljubljana and requested permission from Austrian forces to use their communication facilities. The request was granted, accompanied by a short ceasefire, an episode illustrating both the indispensability of telecommunications and their capacity to mediate conflict. Furthermore, this testimony shows the lack of animosity among soldiers that just months ago all answered to the same State.

Telecommunications also served as instruments of deception. Records describe an incident in which a soldier received what purported to be a call from his superior in Ljubljana. Upon answering at the local post office, he detected a pronounced German accent and refused to comply with the instructions, recognizing the attempt at manipulation. This episode highlights both the strategic value and the vulnerability of communication networks in wartime conditions. Parallels can be drawn between this example and the modern usage of  only social networks and  programmes intended to be used by institutions (eg. governments) that are nowadays exploited as tools for spying, deceit, disinformation and trickery.

Conclusion

The establishment of the Slovene National Government between 1918 and 1921 cannot be fully understood without considering the infrastructural dimension of state formation. Control over telecommunications, postal services, and railways was not merely administrative but constitutive of sovereignty. This is not something that can only be observed in the past, it is a fight that is still evident today with every new mean of communication that technological companies unveil.

By securing communication hubs, the new authorities ensured that decisions taken at the political center could be effectively implemented across peripheral and contested territories. In contrast to earlier historical periods, when delayed communication often allowed local developments to outpace central authority, the integration of modern telecommunications reduced the temporal gap between decision and execution. Telecommunications thus functioned as both a practical instrument of governance and a structural condition for the consolidation of state authority in the immediate post-imperial period.

Klara Babič

The Ljubljana students worked under a common thematic umbrella in 2025-2026 (From a state of war to a state of peace  via (new) communication technologies and media: the establishing of authorities, institutions, laws and the reframing of constitutional values).

Sources and literature

Sources

AT-Oesta KA KPS Generalstab 835. Operationsbüro. 

SI AS, Archives of the Republic of Slovenia, SI AS  1168, Združene PPT organizacije Slovenije, box. 512

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